MOVIE OF THE WEEK March 3, 2023: PALM TREES AND POWER LINES

A teenage girl looking for connection and affection falls prey to an older man who says all the right things — but has all the wrong intentions — in Jamie Dack’s wrenching drama Palm Trees and Power Lines. Often difficult to watch as it follows lonely Lea’s (Lily McInerny) willing entry into Tom’s (Jonathan Tucker) untrustworthy orbit, the film is ultimately part character study and part grooming cautionary tale.

Left largely at loose ends during her summer break, Lea feels like a second (or third or fourth) priority to her often-distracted single mom, Sandra (Gretchen Mol), who’s trying to balance parenthood with work and dating. Lea’s friendships — and hook-ups — aren’t fulfilling, either; it’s clear that she doesn’t feel truly seen or understood by anyone who’s supposedly close to her. Then she meets Tom, and everything changes. Yes, he’s much older than she is, but he appreciates her, and he gets her — or at least that’s what it feels like. And so, for the first time in a long while, she feels special.

That desperately needed feeling helps Lea ignore or explain away some disconcerting moments and exchanges that should be setting off alarm bells for her — though, of course, she’s only a kid, so it shouldn’t be her responsibility to see through a predator’s machinations. As we watch Tom expertly manipulate her vulnerability and inexperience, we see exactly how a successful groomer operates. By the time he reveals his true plan, he’s gotten her just where he wants her: utterly dependent on him and his approval.

It hopefully won’t be a spoiler to say that Dack’s sometimes-bleak story isn’t an afterschool special, which means it doesn’t have a tidy, upbeat ending. What it does have is a gritty realism that makes Lea’s experience and choices all the more heartbreaking, giving the film the kind of impact that will have you thinking about it days later, especially if you know (or have been) an insecure teenage girl. — Betsy Bozdech

Team #MOTW’s comments:

Sherin Nicole You’ll hear “disturbing” or “cautionary tale” and I do not deny those things are true. Palm Trees and Power Lines does not caution so much as scream to be shared with young women, so they might recognize the trap of a hunter before falling prey. The presentation is often yellowed or at times cast in greyed darkness, with an almost dingy grain that suggests what lies within is tainted. That is another truth. Equally undeniable, the ending is as ominous as a razor blade across the carotid.

Jamie Broadnax Jamie Dacks’ Palm Trees and Power Lines is one of the most disturbing films I’ve seen this year. The intention behind the film is to have the viewer sit in the discomfort of a narrative about an underage teenage girl named Lea (Lily Mcinerny) carrying on an affair with a 34-year old man named Tom (Jonathan Tucker). And while at first there is a concern whether this repulsive relationship is somehow being romanticized, Dacks hits us with a gut punch about the iniquitous intentions of this man and slowly unveils who he really is. Lea has a fantasy of who she sees in her ideal guy but Tom is more than meets the eye. I sat through this feeling uneasy about this relationship from beginning to end, yet empathizing with Lea’s need for seeking a person as morally corrupt as Tom. The film’s plot sets the groundwork seamlessly for Lea’s motives, which at the end, turns tragic in the worst way. Jamie Dacks’ film is a movie that sits with you, haunts you, and reminds you that there are many girls like Lea in the world starving for affection and love, and looking for them in all the wrong the places.

Leslie Combemale The same potential disasters await teenage girls now as they did 50 years ago, and the proliferation of alienating elements like social media have only made everything worse. Girls in 2023 do not, as they might believe, mature faster than in any other era. In fact, one could argue learning to discern the authenticity and motivations of others has become harder in the age of iPhones, texting, and Instagram. Palm Trees and Power Lines gets to the heart of these truths in a terrifying and all too realistic way, but it is subject matter that needs to be considered. That being said, a trigger warning should accompany the film for anyone with sexual trauma. The story wouldn’t be as believable or gut wrenching without the fantastic performances of Jonathan Tucker and newcomer Lily McInerny. They get the power imbalance just right, even when it isn’t portrayed through words. Palm Trees and Power Lines is a reminder that, now more than ever, there are many pretty packages, guy-wise, that have rot inside, and the younger the girl, the harder it is for them to recognize the rot.

Jennifer Merin Palm Trees and Power Lines, a chilling narrative feature from writer/director Jamie Dacks, is the story of Lea, a vulnerable teen girl who finds relief from her feelings of loneliness and isolation by befriending an older man who seems to fill her dreams. Tom is her secret crush whom she hides from her BFF and sees separately from the clique of high school cohorts whose behavior alienates her — and from the single sex-starved mom who pays more attention to random dates than to her daughter. This handsome dude who is twice her age is her hero. He is the ultimate easy going nice guy. He showers her with kind comments, creates soulful moments for her and builds her self confidence. But as you watch their relationship develop you wonder, with increasing concern, where it will land. Palm Trees and Power Lines is the laudable first feature from Jamie Dack. Bravely unhurried pacing, incisive cinematography and stunning performances keep the tensions high. This film is a deeply disturbing caustionary tale. As Lea’s naive trust in Tom grows, you find yourself screaming — internally or out loud — “No, don’t go there. don’t do that.” With parental supervision, this is a must see film for teen girls.

Pam Grady: Teenage Lea (Lily McInery) is at loose ends and bored with the graceless fumbling of boys her own age when she meets Tom (Jonathan Tucker). He’s old enough to be her dad but he’s handsome and youthful and charming. Ever so charming, and he love bombs her. Only gradually does his real personality and his dire motives emerge, promising an ugly future if Lea remains with him. But she is young and in love and torn between saving herself and surrendering to the darkness. Adapting her own short film, Jamie Dack has created a tense, character-driven drama that lucidly explicates how a smart but naïve young woman could fall under the spell of a predator. Gorgeously shot and dripping with atmosphere, Palm Trees and Power Lines is chilling cinema, made even more so by the stunning turns of the two leads, particularly Tucker who burrows deep under Tom’s reptilian skin.

Loren King It’s impossible to turn away from this compelling film but impossible not to watch with a sense of dread. Lily McInerny is a natural who is well cast. She nails what 17 really looks like in appearance and demeanor — an insecure, naïve, awkward kid raised on social media who’s hungry for someone to pay attention to her and easily enamored of a “cool” guy. That such vulnerability is so casually exploited is the film’s unwavering course, particularly as it progresses into its horrifying third act. Read full review.

Sandie Angulo Chen: Palm Trees and Power Lines is a powerful if disturbing coming-of-age film about a 17-year-old girl (Lily McInerny) who becomes entangled with a 34-year-old man (Jonathan Tucker) one summer. Writer-director Jamie Dack captures how a teen bored with inattentive and selfish boys her own age is easily seduced by an observant older man who knows exactly how to make a teen girl on the cusp of adulthood feel seen and wanted. Tucker, a former child star, is chillingly believable as Tom, and McInerny is hauntingly expressive as Lea, the teen whose older crush turns out to be far more nefarious than she could have imagined. Painful but important to see, Palm Trees and Power Lines is a reminder of why the Lolita trope is so dangerous to girls and young women.